SHOAL CREEK, Alabama -- No matter where he's been over the past month, Nick Saban has fielded a question or two about Alabama's newest quarterback, Jacob Coker.

It was no different Wednesday before the Crimson Tide coach braved the rains to play nine holes at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am. Only this time, the coach took his answer in a broader direction.

After two sentences about the Florida State transfer, Saban reminded a group of reporters about the two quarterbacks who rose to the top during spring football. It's far too early to "sort of ignore" senior Blake Sims and redshirt freshman Cooper Bateman, he said.

"Jacob's certainly a part of that competition, but Blake Sims did a good job during the spring," Saban said. "As I said before, we were a little disappointed, he was a little disappointed in the way he played in the A-Day game. We didn't really feature what he could do."

Working with the first-team offense, Sims never found a rhythm at Alabama's end-of-spring scrimmage. Though he was said to have performed well behind closed doors at Alabama's first two spring scrimmages, Sims completed just 13-of-30 passes for 178 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Easily the most athletic of the competing quarterbacks, Sims, who wore a black, non-contact jersey, wasn't utilized much at all on designed runs and didn't scramble much when plays broke down.

Leading the second-team offense, Bateman was noticeably sharper. He completed 11-of-24 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown while leading the second-team offense.

"Cooper Bateman is still in the competition," Saban said. "He did a pretty good job in the A-Day game for a young player. So there's a lot of competition at the position.

"I think this is something that our team has to embrace and try to help each and everyone of these guys play winning football for us at this position."

For Coker, Saban said it will be important for the Crimson Tide's newest quarterback to quickly develop relationships with his new teammates.

"You want to be able to respect them and you want them to respect you," Saban said.